


A Certain Romance

by strawberrylace



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Earth, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Boston, Finn is a journalist, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Poe is a photgrapher, Rey is a princess, Roman Holiday AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-25
Updated: 2017-02-20
Packaged: 2018-06-04 09:08:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,396
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6651688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylace/pseuds/strawberrylace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Finn takes on the biggest story of his career as he travels to Rome to get an exclusive interview with Princess Rey as she embarks on a European tour. The day of the interview, the princess goes missing, off having her own adventure and away from her royal responsibilities. Navigating their way around Rome, it’s up to him and his boyfriend, photographer Poe Dameron, to find the princess before the deadline.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> And now, for the Roman Holiday AU that no one asked for!! 
> 
> But in all seriousness, this is probably my first big stab at doing a proper full-length story in this fandom, aside from the one shots I've done. It's an idea I've had in my head for some time and as a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn movies, I wanted to try my hand with this! So I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> For [Claire!](http://randomsplashes.tumblr.com/)

There are times when public transportation can be a fickle reliance and today was one of those days for Finn. There was an unexpected delay on the Red Line of up to five minutes and this was the last thing Finn needed on a day like today. Today was a very special day for a couple of reasons. It had been two years since he started working at the Boston Star as a columnist and he had an important meeting with his editor, Jane Phasma. On a day like today, Finn could not afford to have anything delay. 

The subway was actually three minutes late, just Finn’s luck. As he boarded the subway and took his seat, he heard the intercom announce that they were trying to reroute the lines as quickly as possible and to let all passengers be patient. There was enough time for him to make it to the office but Finn liked to stop at a local coffee house on his way in to pick up an iced caramel macchiato. Without his morning coffee, his whole day was thrown off. However, he knew that he could delay his coffee. After all, today was a very important day. 

Stepping off the subway, Finn had about 12 minutes to get to work. His office was just four blocks away but the coffee house was only two. He walked briskly, passing through the walking traffic in and out. He stopped when he reached the coffee house but when he took a quick peak through the tinted windows, he frowned. It looked like there was already quite a line inside and who knew how fast they were moving inside. He kept moving on, making his way to the Boston Star. Maybe the afternoon won’t be so bad, he figured. 

Finn enjoyed doing what he did at the Boston Star as a weekly columnist. The Boston Star was one of the oldest independent newspapers in the country, known for its off-brand style of journalism. Like most newspapers, it had fallen on hard times since the economy bust from a few years back. 

Finn discovered the world of journalism right around that time, where everything was going in all different directions and there was a panic of its future looking bleak. At that point, he wondered if it was a wise decision for him to pursue a career in a field which seemed to be changing every day. But then again, he knew that if he was good at something, why not give it all he had? So Finn stuck with what he was passionate about and it led him to becoming editor-in-chief of his high school paper, writing for the Harvard Crimson, all the way to his current position at the Boston Star. In a business like this, Finn considered himself to be lucky to have stuck with his passion. 

There were minutes to spare once Finn made through the glass doors of the Boston Star. He nodded at the receptionist as he swiped his keycard. He followed a tall woman with short platinum blonde hair in a red dress to the elevators. She turned her head and smiled when she saw Finn following her behind, not losing a step in her black patent leather heals as she held the elevator door open for him. 

“Morning Finn,” she greeted him. “Weather turned out to be quite nicer than expected, don’t you think?” 

Jane Phasma was Finn’s editor and had been a mentor for him for the past two years. When he first came to interview for a possible job at the Boston Star, it was she who took a liking to him. She saw a spark in him with all he done at the Harvard Crimson and saw great potential in him. 

“It’s a nice day today,” Finn agreed. “Nice day for a meeting too.” 

Phasma looked at him peculiarly. “Are you nervous about this meeting?” 

“Nervous? Me?” Finn fibbed. “Jane-I mean, Phas, come on!” 

“Finn, you’re doing it again.” She patted his back and gave him a reassuring smile. “Relax.” 

It’s a short elevator ride, taking them all the way up to the sixth floor. As soon as they get to their floor, Finn followed Phasma to her office. As they are walking, Finn looks around to see his coworkers slumped over at their desks, typing furiously, making sure they all make their deadlines. 

“I have to say Finn,” said Phasma, walking rather quickly in her high heels. “I got a kick out of your latest column. Boston doesn’t need a giant Coachella festival in this fair city of ours. You’ve made your points loud and clear.” 

“Thank you Phasma,” said Finn, feeling very proud of latest piece. “I figured I’d start my second year off on a strong note. But is this why you wanted to meet with me?” 

“Don’t be silly! We can talk about your column anytime! You’ve been constantly improving your work and taking note of any criticism I give you but that is not why I wanted to meet with you this morning.” 

Once they reached her office, Finn closed the door on him and Phasma, as she walked over to her desk, filing through a small stack of papers. 

“I have an assignment for you,” says Phasma, sitting down at her desk. 

Finn’s ears perked up as he took his seat directly across from his editor. 

“So I have an assignment for you,” she repeated, clicking her pen cap. “Finn, what do you know about Jakku?” 

“Jakku?” To be honest, Finn knew very little about the principality of Jakku. It was the size of an island, off the coast of France, which was known for their beaches, Formula One races, and being a luxurious vacation spot. The only other time he may have heard of it was probably on Jeopardy. 

“Very small area. Would love to go there on vacation one day. They have such beautiful beaches. But anyway.” Phasma was going through her drawer and pulled out a manila envelope. She handed it to Finn. “Princess Rey is doing a European tour for the next week and a half. She’ll be visiting France, Germany, England, Holland, and Italy in her time.” 

As Phasma was talking about all the charitable work the princess had done, Finn was going through the contents of the manila envelope. Inside was a short bio and official photos of the princess at her charitable events from last year. In every photo of her, Finn was struck by her dazzling smile and her warm eyes. Princess Rey. She looked like a ray of sunshine. The name suited her so well.

“And I want you for the story.” 

Finn’s head snapped back to reality, catching only the last part of what Phasma just said. 

“For what story?” Finn asked. 

Phasma sighed, shaking her head. “I want you to go to Rome and interview the princess on her European tour.” 

Finn was flabergasted. Perhaps he heard her wrong. “Me?” 

“Of course.” 

“But…why? I mean, not that I’m saying no or-” 

“It sounds like you’re saying no.” She leaned forward in her chair. “You seem to be doubting yourself, Finn. What’s going on?” 

Finn didn’t know what was going on. Of course he wanted the story. He was more than thrilled to take the story. It was a step above the featured content he’d been writing as of late. But the truth was, did Phasma really think he was the right man for this sort of story? This wasn’t a short piece that Finn wrote weekly. This was an interview, with a royal, nonetheless! The task was much more daunting in Finn’s mind. 

“Why me?” he asked aloud, a sound of uncertainty in his voice. “What makes you so sure that I can handle such a task? I’m not a hard hitting journalist. I mean, yeah, I’ve done interviews before but they’ve been far and few, especially when I was with the Crimson. I don’t know, don’t you think someone else with a greater seniority would be much suited for this?” 

“And that’s where you’re wrong. Finn, you’re a great writer. And what I think makes you able to do this task is that you don’t just report on a story, you tell it. With your column, you’re not just writing down witty articles, you’re telling a story. I want you to challenge yourself with this assignment. Don’t just treat this as an interview. This is a story, not to mention this is the biggest story of your career thus far.” 

The biggest story of his career? He was only getting started he felt. Well, in his professional life, he was just scratching the surface. But it could really propel him to do more stories and make him more well-rounded as a journalist. Perhaps he wasn’t looking at this correctly before. 

“So my question is,” Phasma leaned back in her seat. “Are you up for the task?” 

Finn sat up straight and thought it more carefully. The biggest story of his career. With that, things could change. That would mean a lot more responsibility but also more opportunity. If he was as good as Phasma believed he was, who was he to doubt his skills? When he had the answer, he smiled with confidence at Phasma. 

The subway home was much smoother than the way to work. All the lines were running as they should and no delays. Once he got to his stop, he took his time walking back to his apartment, taking in the seasonably warm evening air. Walking up the steps, he fished through his pockets for his keys and let himself in. He walked up a couple of more flights of stairs and turned the corner to his apartment. Just as he was walking up to his door, he saw his neighbor, a tall, thin man with red hair, close his door and leaving quickly with a briefcase full of papers. Busy man, Finn thought to himself, opening the door to his apartment. 

It was a cozy two bedroom one bathroom apartment that overlooked Fenway Park from their living room window. He’d been living there for two years and Finn couldn’t imagine living in a better place. Everything about it was perfect, from the tiny kitchen where he cooked breakfast all the way down to his perfect roommate. 

Poe Dameron was famous photographer who photographed everyone from rockstars to everyday people. Poe met Finn the summer of his senior year three years ago. He needed a subject for an exhibition and Finn was more than happy to be a model. Their first date ended up being the opening of Poe’s exhibit a couple months later and the pair had been together ever since. As soon as Finn walked in, he smiled at the sight of his wonderful boyfriend cooking up dinner and their corgi, Bee-Bee, eating happily in her dish. 

“I’m home!” Finn called out, dropping his keys in their key dish. 

Finn removed his blazer, hanging it up on the coat rack and walked into the kitchen, following the aroma. Bee-Bee looked up from her dish and barked, trotting over to meet Finn halfway. He bent down and rubbed her ears. 

“Bee-Bee!” Finn greeted, rubbing behind her ears. “How’s my favorite girl doing? Who’s my favorite girl?” 

“She’s been waiting for you all day,” Poe laughed, giving Finn a peck on the lips. “You hungry?” 

“Always. Dinner looks good as usual.” 

“I tried to make something else but they didn’t have what I needed so I figured fajitas would be different, you know?” 

“Babe, you could make anything and it’d still be delicious. I wouldn’t doubt your cooking for a second!” 

Poe smiled and kissed his boyfriend once more. It was the simple things that Finn loved when he came home from work. Poe cooking up dinner, their happy corgi, and just a quiet apartment (at least, when the Red Sox were away during the season). No muss, no fuss. 

The fajitas turned out excellent, just as Finn said they would. With Bee-Bee sitting beside Poe’s feat at the table, the two talked about their day. 

“How did the pictures turn out?” Finn asked. “From the concert?” 

“Great,” Poe nodded. “Nancy really liked the shots of Iggy and Josh a lot. Kinda wished I had more of their drummer. But it wasn’t a total loss meeting him after the show, right?” 

“Remind me to rehearse what I want to say to him, you know, for when the Arctic Monkeys come back from their hiatus and you get to go on tour with them.” Finn shook his head, thinking back on the embarrassing moment he had meeting Matt Helders. He was glad he got a pic with the drummer on his phone. “I’m sure he thought I was a goob, hearing me sputter out word vomit.” 

“Relax, I’m sure he didn’t think that. You’re too cute to be a goob.” Poe smiled. “So what about you? How was work? I read your column about the Boston Coachella. I think it’s your best piece so far!” 

“You say that about every piece though.” 

“But it’s true! You’re passionate about what you write regardless of the topic and you always write a good piece for your column. What’s not to praise about?” 

Finn smiled sheepishly, reminding himself not to sell himself short. “So Phasma wanted to talk to me in her office this morning.” 

“Oh?” Poe’s ears perked up, his eyes widened. “Is everything alright?” 

“Yeah, yeah. Everything’s great, actually.” Finn paused and took a deep breath. “She wants me to interview Princess Rey of Jakku.” 

“You’re kidding?” 

“Believe me, I was just as surprised.” 

“Finn, this is…oh my god, Finn!” He got up from the table and hugged Finn tightly. “This is more than big! This is huge! Like, oh wow, I’m not the one interviewing her but oh my god, I’m like, freaking out over this.” 

“I know! I was too. Like, I wasn’t sure if it was something I wanted to do and I just…Poe, do you think this is something I can do? I mean, with my column, there’s so much freeform to it but this is royalty! She’s a princess!” 

“Finn, look at me.” Poe cupped his boyfriend’s face and looked at him lovingly in his eyes. “You are an amazing journalist. Phasma wouldn’t have given you the assignment if she didn’t think you could do it. You can do it because you’re passionate and a great writer.” He kissed him on the lips and grinned. “We have every reason to celebrate! I mean, I’ll hate to see you gone but, still. I’m so so happy for you!” 

“Well, you won’t have to worry about that! I want you to come with me to Rome.” 

“Are you serious?” Poe was in shock, wondering if his accompaniment would be a bit of a distraction for Finn. “You want me to come with you? I mean, as long as it doesn’t interfere with what you’re doing, obviously.” 

“Of course I want you with me! When’s the next time I’m going to go to a beautiful place like Rome? And who better than you to come along for the ride?” 

“But for how long? You know I have to head out to Tokyo for The Last Shadow Puppets in the next two weeks.” 

“It’ll only be for four days. We can be back before you leave for Tokyo!”

“Great! So when do we leave for Rome?” 

“The day after tomorrow afternoon.” 

“What? Finn, that’s so soon! How are we supposed to get plane tickets so fast? And hotel? And…” 

“Relax, Phasma has it covered for us. Just don’t go crazy with room service on the company credit card is all she asks.” 

“Okay, but what about Bee-Bee? You know how scared she gets of flying! And if the both of us are going away, she’s going to have to stay somewhere.” 

Finn looked at their dog and frowned. It would be the first time he and Poe were going somewhere together without their dog since they adopted her a year ago. He felt foolish not to consider what to do with Bee-Bee while they were gone. He was just too excited about taking Poe with him to Rome. After all, Bee-Bee was like a daughter to them. 

“Can’t we just set her up with a doggie hotel or something?” Finn suggested. 

“We could,” Poe nodded. “Actually, I was thinking we could have our neighbors watch her?” 

“What neighbors?” 

“Finn! You know which ones.” 

Finn thought about the neighbors that were in their building. They spoke with everyone at least once but there wasn’t anyone that he could think of right away that he was close with until…“Wait a minute…them?? You want the lawyer and the carpenter to watch Bee-Bee. They have a cat! Do cat people even like dogs? I don’t know, what if they don’t like Bee-Bee? Will their cat even like her?” 

“Well, Ben said he used to have a dog growing up,” Poe shrugged. “And who doesn’t love Bee-Bee? Everybody loves her!” He bent down and cooed at the Corgi. “Who doesn’t love our baby girl? That’s right! You’re so cute!” 

“His boyfriend wouldn’t mind Bee-Bee though? I mean, just with the cat and all…” 

“I’m sure it won’t be that big of deal. So what do you say?” 

Finn thought it over and then sighed, “I guess we can ask them. If you say that it wouldn’t be an issue, I trust you.” 

Poe squeezed him tightly. “I’m proud of you, Finn. This is going to change things for you and I’m gonna be right here by your side. Great things are gonna come out of this Roman trip. I just know it!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it's been forever and a half since I've updated this fic (a funny thing called life, work, and everything in between has kept me away and it sucks sometimes), but chapter 2 is here in all its glory! We're introduced to Rey and just a little background on her royal life and whatnot. Thanks to everyone who's already left kudos and such on this and I just hope you all enjoy!!

“Rey, you mustn’t do that to your fingers.” 

The young woman’s head jerked up when she heard her mother call her name. She stared blankly at her mother and then looked down at her hands. A few days ago, she went with her mother to get a mani/pedi in preparation for her big European trip. Rey had insisted that her nails did not need a manicure but her mother reminded her that she was a public figure, that image was everything. Reluctantly, she had her nails and toes painted a soft, pale pink. Looking down at her nails, she noticed a teeny tiny chip just at the tip of the nail. Wasn’t a big deal from afar but hopefully her mother didn’t see it from her seat. 

“Leave your fingernails alone,” her mother said. “Flora did such a nice job on them too.” 

Rey sighed. She was feeling rather anxious in her seat. Whenever she felt this way, she’d pick at her nails. The nail polish didn’t do much good for her now. She kept looking at the tiny chip on her finger. Was it really that noticeable? 

“Germany was quite lovely, wasn’t it?” 

Rey wasn’t listening. She pressed her forehead on the window and looked down at the clouds, trying to make out which country they were flying over. The green landscape, the blue ocean, it all looked the same from up above. How vastly different the world looks from thousands of feet in the air.

“Rey? I asked, did you enjoy Germany?” 

She twisted her head back to face her mother, who was patiently waiting for her daughter to answer. Everyone said that Rey had so much of her mother in her. That she would make a fine queen one day. She certainly had her mother’s eyes, all of her features actually. But she was nothing like her mother. No, she felt more akin to her father, if anything. 

Her father was a kind man, a heart full of gold. He believed in what was right for everyone. The thing he loved the most, aside from his family, was adventure. He lived for traveling, going to the ends of the earth to find new discoveries. He never let his royal duties stop him from seeing what the world had to offer. Her father passed when she was nine years old of a heart attack. On his deathbed, his last request to his only child was that she go out and see the world. Explore what is out there and step out of your comfort zone. 

Fifteen years had passed since his death and Rey felt as though she really hadn’t seen any of the world. After all the trips she had made on royal tours, not once was she really able to tour places like Stockholm and Germany. Did she enjoy Germany? Rey didn’t know. All she did was business. Everything she was doing was all for business and Rey had grown weary of it. 

“Yes, it was quite lovely.” 

Of course, she couldn’t tell her mother that. Simply saying that Germany was lovely was good enough for the time being. It was okay, she thought to herself. Perhaps she can see Germany for herself when she would go on vacation. Whenever that would take place, obviously. When would she actually see these places she visited, Rey wondered. When would she have a chance to break away from her responsibilities to just go see the beautiful places for just one day? One day was all she asked for. 

“I think you’re going to love Rome,” her mother said. “Your father loved it when he was your age. It was his favorite place to visit.” 

Her father loved Rome so much. He used to tell her stories about his one Roman Holiday he’d never forget. There was one day he faked sick to get out of his royal responsibilities and while everyone thought that he was lying in bed all day, he had actually snuck out of the palace he was staying in and went off to have a little adventure of his own. It was the perfect getaway he needed from his responsibilities for the day and it never made him more alive. That was just the thing Rey needed. A day off from royal responsibilities. Of course, she’d rather have some friends with her to accompany her but her dad’s day off sounded perfect otherwise. 

“How long do you think we’ll be in Rome?” Rey asked. 

“About a couple of days. We have to meet up with the President tonight and then you have an interview with an American reporter right before we leave.” 

“Am I going to have a chance to actually see Rome or will this be just another one of those stop and go places like Germany?” 

The smile on her mother’s face faded as soon as Rey said this. Her mother tried to think of a good response to this as Rey looked on, waiting for her mother to say something different. 

“Of course you’ll see Rome,” she said rather quickly. “You can see Rome if we have a free afternoon, Rey.” 

“If? If???” Rey was visibly frustrated with her mother’s answer. “You always say if for every place we tour! ‘If we have time.’ ‘If we have a free morning or afternoon.’” She raised her voice an octave higher, imitating her mother’s tone. “I’m tired of you saying ‘if’! There’s never a good time for me to see the world, is there? There’s always some sort of responsibility that has to be attended to and it’s never a good time for me, is there?” 

“There was time for you when you were younger!” It was her mother’s turn to raise her voice now, very cross with her daughter’s behavior. 

“When I was younger, I wasn’t able to appreciate the great beauty and wonders of the world! Now, I want to see everything! Mother, I’ve been looking forward to seeing Rome for a long time, especially since Father would rave on about when I was little. I want to see Rome so badly!” 

“Sweetie, you’re just tired, why don’t you rest for a bit?” 

Rey wasn’t stupid, she knew exactly what her mother was doing. There really wasn’t going to be any time away from her royal responsibilities after all. Instead, it was going to be work, work, work, and then the European tour would be over and it was back to the castle. What good was a tour of Europe if there wasn’t a chance to see anything in her downtime? 

“I’m not tired,” Rey grumbled. 

“Rey, this is very unbecoming of you. I think all this traveling is getting to your head,” her mother said to her in a dissatisfied tone. “Please just take a nap.” 

“No!”

“Rey!” 

“I’m done talking about this with you. We can talk more about it when we land. Please just get some rest. You always get cranky when you haven’t had enough sleep.” 

There was no use arguing with her mother. If there was one thing Rey inherited from her mother, it was her stubbornness. They were both so relentless over silly little things. However, this wasn’t a silly little thing that Rey wanted. She just wanted her own Ferris Bueller’s Day Off from royal responsibilities. Was that too much to ask for? 

It had been this way for as long as she could remember. Rey’s childhood had never been normal given her royal circumstances but for the most part, she was allowed to be a kid.   
After her father’s death, things had changed. There was more responsibility that had been thrusted upon her as she became a teenage princess, whether it was royal dinners or visiting countries on business, none of this was registering. Oh, not to mention the lack of privacy that came with being a royal as she got older. That seemed to be an issue every time she wanted to go out with her friends. But she had to learn to live with it. But was she really living? 

Rey turned her head and looked out the window. They must be getting close, she thought. Her mother was talking with their body guard, going over protocol for what to expect in Rome. Suddenly, she was missing her dad. The thought of her father came up every now and then but right now she was missing him so much. If he was here, he would let her have a day off and enjoy her own Roman Holiday. He would be able to persuade her mother to let her be normal just this once. Who knows? Maybe they would’ve enjoyed the day together. 

Rey closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. Her mother was right. Rest was what she needed and she just wanted it to be that way for just a few more hours, maybe even a couple of days. It felt like she’d only been resting for five minutes when she felt someone tap on her shoulder. She heard a soft voice on her ear. 

“Rey, sweetie, wake up.” 

She was startled at first, her eyes wide open. She looked up to see who it was who woke her from her brief slumber. Her mother was already out of her seat and the plane was no longer moving. She didn’t feel anything as they had landed in the airport. She figured she couldn’t have slept through all of that. There was no way it was possible. 

“We’re here,” her mother said quietly. “Our ride is waiting for us.” 

It was the same procedure with every country they visited. Rey and her mother got on a private jet, along with the royal entourage they traveled with, and flew to a country. Once they landed, security had to make sure they landed at some obscure hour so that paparazzi wouldn’t go clawing after them. They didn’t do that all the time but it was scary when they did. Paparazzi always shouting at them, demanding they smile for every picture, even when they had a long flight and barely got any rest. But they were in the clear this time, thankfully. Getting in and out was going to be easy. 

Rey followed her mother down the steps off the jet with her bodyguard, Joseph, following them close behind. Joseph used to be her father’s bodyguard. He was kind of like a father figure to her, in the way that he was protective of her. He would tell her stories of what her father was like when he was her age. She certainly liked having him around. 

The sun was beginning to set when she stepped out. The sky was a beautiful purple mixed with orange and pink. It looked more magnificent with the Coliseum in the foreground, Rey thought to herself. There were two identical black cars waiting for them when they got off the jet. One part of their royal entourage rode in one car while Rey, her mother, and their body guards rode in the other. Rey never understood why they all had to ride in separate cars when she was younger but her mother told her it was to set off any suspicions in case paparazzi tried to take their pictures or follow them down. 

On the ride over to the embassy suite, Rey looked out the window and marveled at all the beauty Rome had to offer. From the lights to architecture, Rey wanted to see it all. Oh, how she could just jump out of the car and just start taking pictures of everything. How easy it would be for her to just run away from it all. 

“Once we get to the suite, we’ll have to change for dinner,” her mother announced, checking her phone.

“Dinner?” 

Rey couldn’t remember what this dinner was for. There were quite a lot of meals scheduled on this European tour with politicians that they all seemed to blur together in her head. Not to mention, they were extremely boring for her. These were mostly for her mother, as she was queen of Jakku. Every now and then, there would be some politician or royal that would try to set Rey up with their son. Rey was not interested as all she wanted to do was just eat her food and then go back to her room as soon as possible. She was certainly not interested in any of their grand, romantic gestures and promises of their kingdoms. No, she was content with the kingdom that she had now, thank you. 

“Mother, you said we were meeting with the President, not having dinner with them!” 

“Rey, were you not listening to men when I ran down an overview of our schedule? We’re having dinner with the President of Italy tonight! Honestly, I don’t know where your head is most of the time…” 

“Do I have to go?” 

Her mother was bewildered. “Do you…is that? Is that really what you’re asking?” 

“I’m tired, Mother. I’m very tired and I’m not very hungry.” 

“Well, then what am I supposed to tell the President then? My daughter couldn’t make it to dinner on account of she’s very tired? Rey, what has gotten into you?” 

“I don’t want to have dinner with anyone tonight. I just want to go to bed! How hard is it for you to understand that I am tired? I am exhausted from this whole trip and for once, I just want to have one day where I’m not running around like a chicken with its head cut off! I won’t go to dinner! You can’t make me!” 

“Rey, that is enough!” her mother snapped. “I’ve had enough of this childish behavior from you. We’re having dinner with the President and that’s final!” 

“But mother!” 

“I’m done having this discussion, Rey.” 

“Fine!” 

As soon as the car was parked in front of the embassy, Rey bolted out of the car and ran up the stairs of the front door. She pushed the door open and fled up the stairs, ignoring the calls of her mother, her body guards, and everyone else that she passed through making her way to her room. She slammed the door shut and locked it, flinging herself on her bed. 

Rey cried her eyes out on the pillow. She was done with having such a tightly wound schedule, going to places and seeing faces she barely knew. Rey was sick of it all. She was desperate for her own getaway. She just needed to not be here. 

Her mother knocked on her door several times, urging her to come out but each time Rey refused. Eventually, her mother gave up. A while later, Rey heard another knock at the door. She opened the door and poked her head out to see who it was. Joseph was standing right outside her door, holding a small pill and a glass of water. 

“You highness,” he said gruffly. “The Queen insists that you take this as soon as possible.” 

Rey sighed. She had been complaining that she had a cold before she began her European tour and her mother just about freaked out. She’d been taking Nyquil to help her fall asleep but she didn’t need it as much now that she was getting over her cold. Reluctantly, she took the pill and took a big gulp of water. 

“Please do get some rest,” said Joseph. “For tomorrow is a busy day.” 

She closed the door behind him. When she no longer heard his footsteps near his room, she opened the window and looked down from the terrace. Her room was on the second story of the embassy and there was a little terrace that overlooked the yard. If she was able to make a rope out of the blankets in her room, climb down without anyone on the first story seeing her, Rey would be able to get out just fine. Not to mention, Joseph probably wouldn’t check on her for another two hours, leaving her plenty of time to walk around. 

Gathering all the blankets off her bed, she tied them in tight knots and wrapped one end around her waist and another on the railing. She had no need for her phone so she left that behind, taking only her wallet and dressed in casual clothes. In case anyone recognized her, Rey tied her hair up in three little buns, the way her father used to do her hair when she was a girl. 

With the blanket tied tight around her waist, she carefully climbed out of the window and down the embassy. When she reached the end of her makeshift rope, she was hovering just a few inches above the ground. She carefully untied her waist and held onto the blankets as she let herself down on the ground. She looked around to see if there was anyone that could see her. The sky was dark but not too dark and there was no one in sight. Next thing she had to do was climb over the fence and she was well on her way to exploring Rome. 

Climbing over the fence was no challenge for her, as she enjoyed getting dirty and doing un-princess like things from her youth. She dusted herself off and walked away from the embassy with a shrug. Every now and then she’d look over her shoulder, back at the embassy, to see if anyone was following her. In case anyone had actually seen her escape. She tried not to think about it but suddenly she was feeling very dizzy and lightheaded. Rey couldn’t understand why she was feeling so drowsy all of a sudden. She didn’t have anything to eat except for…

The pill. 

Of course it was the pill that made her sleepy. She stood there in the middle of the sidewalk, blocking the way for all those passing by. She looked to her left and to her right, wondering where to go. She needed to lie down somewhere, anywhere. Rey wandered around some more until she found a park. There was no one there so it was a perfect opportunity for her to just find a park bench and lay her head, just for a few hours. Surely no one would think that she was crazy. She went to the first park bench that she saw and stretched her whole body, her eyes getting heavier as she fell deeper into her slumber.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Finn arrive in Rome and Finn meets a surprising friend his first night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know it's been ages since I've last updated but I assure you, I haven't forgotten about it! I'm sorry if it isn't as good as it should be. Please be kind! Thank you for being so patient and for your support as always!!

“Okay, remind me to bring an extra bottle of perfume the next time we have to sit next to someone who smells like expired cheese for a 14 hour flight,” said Finn. 

“I didn’t think he smelled that bad,” Poe shrugged. 

“Could you not smell him? And then when he fell asleep too…” 

“Okay, he was pushing it with the sleeping though. The drool coming out of his mouth was not attractive but he seemed nice.” 

“He was nice, gave us some good tips for getting around in Rome.”

It was sometime around the evening when Finn and Poe arrived in Rome. Aside from their smelly passenger, the flight from Boston went off without a hitch. There wasn’t a whole lot of time for the two of them to take a look around the city, so they decided to head straight to their hotel and check in. Phasma raved it was one of the best in Rome, right in the heart of the city. Not to mention walking distance from the Embassy, where Princess Rey would be staying. 

“Now the in-flight movie though, oh my god,” Poe sighed. “Could they have picked a worse movie than Jack and Jill? Ugh, I’d rather watch paint dry.” 

“Do you think BeeBee’s gonna be okay her first night alone?” Finn asked. “It’s her first time away from either of us. Did we leave enough food with her?” 

“BeeBee’s gonna be okay,” Poe smiled reassuringly. “She’s in good hands with Ben and Xavier. I think BeeBee took a liking to their cat.” 

“Their cat, Millicent, didn’t seem to be amused though…I hope they’ll get along.” 

“I think they’ll get along fine. Like I said, who doesn’t love BeeBee?” 

Poe was right. Who didn’t love BeeBee? Anytime they took her out for a walk, BeeBee would get super excited about people approaching her. She was so warm and friendly. Finn and Poe had been dating for two years and been living together for a year when they first met BeeBee at the animal shelter. It was love at first sight when they met the small Corgi. She was a ball of energy and gravitated towards the two when they came in the shelter. They had looked at other dogs but they always came back to the Corgi every time. They knew she was the one. A year later, they couldn’t imagine loving any other dog than her. 

“It’s pretty hard not to,” Finn nodded. 

It was around dinner time when Finn and Poe arrived at their hotel. The Villa Graziolli was a small, sophisticated hotel, much nicer than Finn had expected. About five stories high, their room was located on the top floor (thankfully there were elevators). Their room was about half the size of their apartment back in Boston, not that they had a problem with it. All they needed was just a place to sleep, considering how much time they would be spending in the room. But the best part of it was the incredible view they had from their balcony overlooking Rome. As Finn was unpacking his suitcase, Poe leaned out from the balcony and looked up at the sky, marveling at how gorgeous Rome looked at night. 

“I bet it’s amazing at sunrise,” Poe sighed. “Hell, this whole city is probably gorgeous no matter what time of day it is.” 

Finn had unpacked the last of his clothes and came over by Poe’s side, snaking his arm around Poe’s hip as he looked out at the city. Rome looked beautiful at night, Finn thought to himself. And he would like to watch the sunrise with Poe over Rome, just to see how the sun illuminates on his face. It’s probably a sight to behold, but none more beautiful than the way Poe’s face looks in the moonlight. 

“I really hope we do get some time to ourselves,” said Poe. “I know the whole reason for this trip is for work but maybe we can have a day where we can do the touristy things? The more cliché the better!” 

Finn hoped so too. He had the one day he was going to be interviewing the princess, not to mention, he was working on a really tight deadline for Phasma. The story had to be in by the time he returned, which was in five days. Getting the assignment turned in on time wasn’t an issue with Finn but rather what the day was going to entail with the Princess. Just how much of his would he devoting to her? The princess probably had more pressing things to do than do a silly interview with an American journalist, like meeting political officials and going to fancy dinner parties. Or she could be totally cool. Finn wanted to think that while she held a great power as a royal, deep down Rey was a normal young woman with similar interests to him and Poe. Why did he have to treat this as if he was back at Harvard all over again? Oh wait, because the looming thought of this interview being the biggest in his budding career still loomed over him. 

“What are you thinking about?” Poe asked, his hand reaching for Finn’s. 

Finn turned to Poe, snapping himself back to reality. He could tell from Poe’s eyes that he was worried. Finn hated when Poe worried. It just made Finn worry even more. Poe had no reason to fret over anything at the moment. Right now, Poe should be focused on being in such a beautiful city on a gorgeous night like tonight. Leave the worrying to me, Finn thought to himself. 

“I’m thinking,” Finn started to speak but stopped himself, carefully choosing his words. “I’m thinking…of a walk.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I meant, uh, I was thinking of just taking a walk around Rome for a few minutes. No, maybe like…twenty minutes? Yeah, I just, it’s a nice night outside and I…” 

“Finn.” 

“What?” 

“You’re thinking too much about the interview again, aren’t you?” 

“How could you tell?” 

“I think I know you quite well to see that you’re secretly freaking out over it and that you’re worried it’s not gonna go over well. Babe, I can read you like a book. You can’t fool me.” 

Finn got quiet, feeling guilty that he could try to hide his nerves. Poe knew him all too well. Finn really was like a book Poe had memorized. 

“Finn…” 

Poe wrapped his arm around Finn and kissed his lips softly. 

“You are a great, nay, fantastic journalist. Phasma wouldn’t have given you this assignment if she didn’t truly believe that you were capable of handling this on your own. I believe in you, Finn. You shouldn’t let your worries get the best of you. You can do this, babe. I know it.” 

“You really think so?” Finn asked quietly. 

“Absolutely,” Poe smiled. “If you want to take a walk, just to calm your nerves, that’s fine by me. I’ll be unpacking my stuff and hop in the shower. Do you know where you’re going?” 

“I think so. I should be no more than fifteen minutes.” 

“I’ll see you later then.” 

It was a cool night when Finn went out for his walk. He brought a light jacket with him, just in case it got chilly but he ended up slinging it over his shoulder as he walked around Rome. There was some foot traffic out on the streets, with folks dressed for a night on the town. People in groups of twos and threes talking amongst themselves, giggling as Finn walked past them. As he walked further away from the hotel, Finn noticed a park on his route. It was a shame it was dark out, Finn thought to himself, otherwise he would’ve enjoyed going for a nice walk through it. From a first glance, Finn could’ve sworn he saw someone sleeping on one of the park benches. He backtracked and peered through the gates to see that he was right. Looking around him, Finn couldn’t believe that no one was seeing this. This poor person looked cold. Swinging the gate open and checking to see that the coast was clear, Finn went in the park to check on them. 

Not wanting to startle them, Finn cautiously approached the sleeping stranger as they lay there on the park bench asleep. Finn noticed they had their hair up in three small buns, so he deduced that it was a young lady. Her arms were covering her face as she slept soundly. Still, Finn couldn’t help but worry that something had happened to her. 

“Miss?” Finn whispered, tapping her shoulder. “Miss? Are you alright?” 

The young lady stirred in her sleep. She was conscious, thank the stars, Finn thought. 

“Mmhmm?” the young woman responded, her face still in her arms. 

“Miss, are you alright?” Finn asked again. “Pardon me for disturbing you but I saw you on that park bench and I” 

“Goodness gracious,” the young lady mumbled, slowly lifting her head up, looking at Finn peculiarly. “Are you the doctor?” 

Oh no, Finn thought. She had no idea what was going on. Finn had to get her out of here fast. Did she know who she was at least? She looked familiar. Very familiar. 

“They gave me something,” the young woman yawned, stretching out her arms. “It was supposed to make me sleep better but this bench felt like I was sleeping on planks!” 

“Miss, do you know who you are? Where you are?” 

“Oh don’t be silly! I’m Rey, Princess of Jakku! I’m in a park in Rome because dinner parties are so boring and…” 

Oh dear, what had he done? How did the princess get out of her room and end up passed out on a park bench? Did she know how she got here in the first place? She had to go back to the Embassy, obviously but he didn’t know where it was in relation to this park. He checked his phone but wasn’t getting a signal in the park. Great, there goes GPS, thought Finn. He looked around in the park to see if there was anyone watching them. Rey was awake so maybe she knew where the Embassy was. 

“Rey, uh…your highness?” Finn didn’t want to be rude as she was royalty but at the same time, just how out of it was the princess? Would she reprimand him if he didn’t call her his highness?

“Princess,” Finn sighed. “Do you want me to take you back to the Embassy?” 

“I don’t want to go back there!” Rey whined. “No! No! No! Take me with you!” 

This was going to be much more difficult than he anticipated. Finn had to take her somewhere safe. Back to his hotel? Poe would flip out but he figured it was the best idea. No worries, she could sleep in his bed and then by morning, explain everything that happened tonight. Poe had to understand that he couldn’t just leave the princess there alone. 

“Princess..,” said Finn. 

“It’s Rey!” the princess pouted. 

Finn shook his head. “Rey, I’m going to take you back to my hotel, is that alright? My boyfriend is there with me. You can stay in the room for tonight but in the morning, we have to bring you back to the Embassy. Is that clear?” 

“What’s your name, good sir?” 

“Finn, your highness.” 

“Don’t call me ‘your highness’! I came out here today so that for once, I could be a normal person like you!” 

“Rey, shh…I’m sorry. I assumed that’s how you wanted to be addressed. I won’t do it again, I promise. I’m gonna take you back to my hotel and you are going to sleep there for the night. Is that alright?” 

Rey nodded her head. “Yes, take me to your comfy bed.” 

“Yes…my comfy bed.” 

With one arm slung over his shoulder, Finn helped Rey walk all the way back to his hotel room. The people they passed by didn’t seem to bat an eye when they saw that a normal civilian had the Princess of Jakku slung on his shoulder as they “tried” (with Finn doing all the work) to walk back to his hotel without causing a scene. Though perhaps the reason they went unnoticed was because they had never seen the princess dressed like a commoner, from what Finn was able to guess. Certainly made getting Rey back to his hotel a lot easier than he planned. 

Getting Rey in the hotel, however, was a whole different story for Finn. For starters, Rey was suddenly in a very giggly mood, finding everything that she and Finn passed amusing. When the double doors of the hotel closed behind them, she burst into a fit of laughter, unable to comprehend with what was so amusing about a mundane thing. Finn wondered if perhaps the sleeping pill she had taken earlier might be stronger than what he thought. She had nearly fallen twice since getting in the hotel. Still, he helped her get on the elevator up to his floor. 

“Okay Rey, listen carefully,” Finn whispered, as the two of them came to Finn’s room. “I know it’s only the drugs right now but you’re gonna have to be super quiet in here. I can’t believe you tried to sniff that poor old woman on the elevator!” 

“She smelled like Elizabeth Taylor,” Rey giggled. 

“Rey!” 

“That’s a compliment!” 

“Please don’t try to sniff my boyfriend.” 

“Does he smell like Elizabeth Taylor?”

“Oh my god…” 

Rey kept on giggling as Finn fished through his jean pockets for the hotel key. Sliding the key through the door, he carefully opened it up in case Poe was asleep. Slowly closing the door behind him and Rey, Finn lead Rey into the hotel room. 

“Finn?” Poe called out from the bathroom. “Finn, are you back?” 

“Babe, it’s me,” Finn responded. “Poe, I, uh, I need you to not freak out over this.” He turned to Rey and shushed her as the two of them stood in the doorway. 

“Why?” Poe sounded concerned. “Finn, what happened?” 

“Um…I should probably show you…” 

Poe walks out of the bathroom, his face covered in shaving cream while holding a razor in one hand. He wore nothing but a towel around his hips. When he saw who was with Finn, Poe eyed the girl up and down before his eyes widened, realizing who she was. He gasped, dropping the razor on the floor. 

“Oh my god,” Poe whispered. “Finn, did you…how did you find her? Oh my god, how did this happen?” 

Poe walked away from the two, circling around their room as he kept breathing in and out. Finn slowly approached him, with Rey following close behind. Her mind may have been hazy but she knew well enough that something wasn’t right. 

“Poe? Poe…”

Finn took hold of Poe’s hand and held it. 

“Poe, I found her on a park bench passed out,” Finn explained. “I think she might still be under something. Sleeping pills from what she told me. I couldn’t leave her alone there. So I invited her to come back to our place where she could sleep here for the night.” 

“Are you insane?” asked Poe. “What if there’s someone that’s looking for her right now? We have to bring her back to wherever she’s staying now!” 

“And what? Have her guards throw us in jail? I just wanted to do the right thing, that’s all.” 

“Oh Finn, your heart knows no boundaries and that’s why I love you,” Poe smiled weakly, kissing Finn on the cheek. “But seriously, what are we going to do with her in the morning when she wakes up? She’s gonna think we kidnapped her!” 

“I’m right here, you know.” 

Finn and Poe turned around to see Rey was sitting on the bed, arms crossed and pouting. 

“You’re not going to really make me go back now, are you?” Rey asked. 

“No…we, uh…” Poe paused, looking to Finn to help him out with explaining the situation. 

“We just want to make sure you get home safe tomorrow morning,” Finn quickly said. “I mean, you’re probably not going to remember this because…” 

“The sleeping pill,” said Rey. 

“Right! Yes, we just want to make sure you’re alright when you wake.” 

Rey nodded. As Poe went back in the bathroom, Finn looked in the closet for some extra pillows and blankets for him and Poe. When he came back, he found Rey had fallen right asleep on their bed, snuggled in the blankets. She looked so peaceful, sleeping soundly, Finn thought. When Poe came back dressed in an old tee and some shorts, he looked on at the princess with tired eyes. 

“How are you going to explain this to Phasma?” he asked, half joking. 

Finn rolled his eyes. “Believe me, that wasn’t how I intended my first meeting with the princess to go down. At least she’s asleep and safe, right?” 

“True,” Poe nodded, his arm snaked around Finn’s waist and kissing his cheek. “But what are we going to do in the morning?” 

Finn shrugged. “Poe, I don’t want to think about it right now. I just want to go to bed. It’s been a long day and there’s no better way I want to end my evening than wrapped up in your arms.” 

Poe smiled, holding Finn closer to him. Their tender moment was short-lived when the sound of Rey’s snoring caught the two off-guard. They looked at her, eyes wide and wondering how such a loud noise could come out of such a tiny person. 

“Is she going to do this all night?” Poe sighed. 

“I really hope not,” Finn shook his head. “Otherwise, we’re going to be in for a long night.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates on this story. I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Please feel free to leave any feedback if you wish!

Fortunately for them, the snoring did not last long into the night. However, Finn was quite restless, thinking a lot about the assignment, how he was going to explain everything to the royal family and his boss. Was this going to get him arrested? Was he going to lose his job? All of these racing thoughts left him tossing and turning in his sleep. Somehow, this did not bother Poe, who wrapped his arms around Finn. He looked back over at Poe, who was sound asleep, and remembered how supportive he was and how fortunate he was to have an amazing boyfriend like him. With that thought calming him down, he finally fell asleep. 

It was a bright and sunny morning when Finn woke up. He noticed that Poe was already out of bed, assuming he had gone downstairs to get breakfast. The sun poked through the curtains, giving the room some natural heat. He rolled out of bed and opened the curtains, looking out at the buildings and scenery of Rome. The city looks so peaceful from up here, Finn thought to himself. So serene, so beautiful…

“Have you seen the princess?” 

Finn turned to see an out of breath Poe run into their room, with a worried expression on his face. It didn’t register to him that Princess Rey had slept in their hotel room that night, considering the noise she had made earlier with her snoring. 

“Is she not still sleeping?” Finn asked, going to check on her bed. 

“Well, that’s what I thought too,” said Poe, following him. “But when I woke up, she was out of bed. So I went down for breakfast to see if maybe she was there. Couldn’t find her so I figured she went for a walk and came back here.” 

“So if she’s not with you and she’s not in the room…” 

Finn looked around to see if Rey had left any of her belongings in the room but he found nothing. Suddenly all the worries he had from last night were rushing back to him. The princess was gone. How does one just misplace a royal heiress overnight? 

“Oh my god,” Finn gasped. “I am screwed. I am really royally screwed.” 

“Finn,” Poe placed his hands on Finn’s shoulders. “look at me. We’re going to take a deep breath and count to three.” 

Finn nodded his head and inhaled, silently counting with Poe and exhaling. He was a little better though there was the pending issue of where Princess Rey went. 

“Maybe she went back to the Embassy,” said Poe. “Maybe someone saw her down in the lobby and she went back to the Embassy. Where else could she go?” 

“Back to the park, maybe,” Finn suggested. “I don’t think she can go very far if she’s never been here before. Just as long as Phasma doesn’t call me, we should be in the clear.” 

“Isn’t it like super early over in Boston?” 

“That won’t stop Phasma from trying to call me about an update.” 

“If she does call you, just tell her that the princess had a prior engagement and that you’ll get an interview with her as soon as possible. Princesses have important royal engagements like kissing babies and meeting the elderly.” 

“Okay, okay, let’s just get dressed and check with the lobby to see if they saw a young woman leave the room or if she left a message for our room.” 

“Hopefully she left us with something.” 

Within twenty minutes, Finn and Poe were all dressed and down in the hotel lobby. Poe sat in the chairs, watching Italian news with an elderly couple in the common area while Finn waited at the front desk. He looked around the lobby and was surprised at how quiet it was at nine in the morning. Maybe hotel lobbies were different in Europe than they were in America. Still, it seemed strange. Finn was fidgeting with a pen, clicking the top, when the concierge arrived and cleared his throat. 

“May I help you, sir?” the concierge asked. 

Finn stopped clicking on the pen and looked up, smiling nervously. 

“Oh, hi, yes. I was wondering if by any chance you had seen a young woman come around here this morning? She’s about a couple of inches shorter than me with brown hair, brown eyes, wearing plain clothes. Or maybe she came by around at an earlier time? Do you know or…?” 

“I’m sorry sir, but I have not seen anyone that you’ve described come by around here all morning. By any chance can you get a hold of her through a mobile?” 

“You see, that’s the thing,” Finn took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. “She doesn’t have her phone on her or anything like that and that’s why I was hoping that perhaps you could be of assistance. Maybe she came by around here or left a message with one of your other concierges?” 

“I’m sorry sir, but I haven’t seen anyone come by. I’ve been working the morning shift and didn’t see a young woman walk through or come down in the lobby. Is this woman in trouble? Perhaps we can get the police involved and they would be happy to assist you with this.” 

“Finn, you gotta come over here quick.” 

Finn turned to see a worried Poe gesturing over in the common area of the lobby. 

“Okay, give me just a minute,” Finn nodded. 

“No,” Poe shook his head. “You gotta come see this now.” 

Poe was tugging on Finn’s sleeve as the concierge wrote down a number for him to contact to help with finding Rey. He slipped the number over to Finn as he followed Poe to see what was the fuss. In the common area, the elderly couple were still sitting in the same spot Poe had left them. A reporter was speaking rapidly in Italian, with pictures of a building and policeman surrounding the gated area. A middle aged woman dressed in regal attire was trying to flee the area, covering her face as her body guards escorted her into a limousine. 

“Oh my god,” Finn gasped. “That’s…that’s the Queen?” 

Poe nodded his head. 

“Are they saying what I think they’re saying about her?” Finn asked. 

“If my basic Italian serves me correctly, they’re saying that the Princess has gone missing.” 

Rey’s royal photograph filled up the entire television screen. Finn and Poe could only make out a little bit of what the reporter was saying, something along the lines of the princess being missing and that the royal family will not rest until the princess has been returned safe and sound. The older couple gasped as they were watching along with the news report. They murmured something to themselves and continued to watch the telecast in silence. 

“Poe,” Finn turned to Poe. “We have to find her.” 

“What?” Poe’s eyes widened. “Finn, that’s insane. I know your job is at stake here but this is not something we are equipped to do! You have to tell Phasma what happened and she’ll be more than understanding of this situation.” 

“No, we have to find her. Look, I saw something in Rey’s eyes last night. She was just a girl lost in this strange world and who knows how she’s holding up? I think we should find her. What do you say?” 

“I don’t know. I mean, what if she’s just hiding from the media like all the other celebrities do? Shouldn’t we just let her be and then she can go home peacefully?” 

“She has no clue where she is going. I think we should help her get back home at least. Just so the Queen doesn’t try to off someone’s head or anything like that.” 

“Do they still practice that kind of barbaric punishment?” 

“Beside the point! What do you say? If not, it’ll be an adventure like nothing we’ve had before.” 

Poe paused for a minute and then decided, “Well, if it’s for the best. I guess it’s worth it. Where do you think she could be?” 

“When in Rome, you could be anywhere.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how often I will update this or how many chapters I intend on posting for this but I hope to do this on a biweekly basis maybe? Anyway, please feel free to leave a comment or anything! If you'd like to talk to me [here!](http://www.coopershangover.tumblr.com)


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